instead of ewc, another masters please

#1

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i think we can all agree on this
ewc production was dogshit and their formats are so terrible (bo1 elimination)
riot has made a really good format this year
only pro of ewc is like the money from what I understand, which this year you get gambling sponsors so shouldn't be THAT much of a problem like it was before
there's only cons from this, it's like in the middle of the year, and it's going to be invite only which CANNOT be considered a top tier tournament
the s tier valorant tournaments are the only ones where all teams have a fair chance of qualifying, i like that valorant has a MERIT BASED system and I love the way it works
it's also a shady organisation and all those other things that sideshow made a video on

IDK, i would just prefer another masters or an international lcq kinda event which sideshow suggested

#2

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bump

#3

gamergirl

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riot needs to put these mfs to work and start advertising better so they can sell tv/streaming rights then fund t2 and the scene becomes self sustaining

ewc helps with that sadly

#4

HeavenRhey45

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with MITH dropping out they really should get a good look on the state of T2 valorant given the t1 calendar already looks great and the EWC will only mess it up

#7

gamergirl

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mith doesnt matter to riot, to save t2 riot needs to start getting proper tier 1 investment

if the tier 1 scene isnt getting huge numbers (even if its still losing money) there is no reason to even care about t2 yet from riots standpoint

theres still loads of new talent coming in every year with a broke tier 2 anyways

this is all to say tier 1 is more important which is obvious, but its also why franchising was important

#14

HeavenRhey45

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ya but still for t2 to work we need orgs to fund players. Players are people they need a job and valorant does not pay on it's own. they need equipment, money for flights and for their life.

#22

gamergirl

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i disagree, 18-21 year olds that live with their parents dont really need some lucrative money, tier 2 was just way overpaid for a while lol so now u got a bunch of people who arent good enough for tier 1 that are entitled to making more than 30k a year for playing video games

why is the pressure on riot to go into the negative for tier 2 when massive orgs like tsm are out there dodging expenses lmfao

#26

Nef0r0

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but TSM aren't really that big, arent they still struggling financially due to the entire FTX shit? in EU the only big orgs are the likes of Mouz, in NA it's only TSM and maybe M80 (not even massive, just big), SA is almost dead cuz no investment

#29

gamergirl

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tsm are very big, they just mismanaged their money and lost huge on a big deal, but thats not on riot. they are objectively one of the biggest orgs in the world, if they cant afford to have 5 pros in tier 2 which would be pennies on their books compared to their other esports teams its not a riot issue

brazil and latam in this last summer has produced more talent than they have in any year since 2021 lol, which is the role of tier 2 so how is it dead

#33

Nef0r0

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NA could still have had more orgs like faze or col or nouns for that matter, eeven more opportunity for talent to grow.
Brazil and Latam are providing talent, but there is even more out there, don't let it be the last generation of SA LATAM players, rather one of many

#35

gamergirl

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how would it be the last generation of latam or sa players when there are orgs waiting for these kids to turn 18 lol

people just look at csgo and compare a 4 year old t2 scene to a 20 year old t2 scene

#36

Nef0r0

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it still doesn't mean BR and SA shouldn't get more investment

continue thread →

#27

HeavenRhey45

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Mate, not everyone has rich parents. Many players need the support from orgs to survive. A lot of these people are kids, and given that video games are still somewhat stigmatized by the older generation, convincing their parents to back them financially for something as uncertain as an esports career is a massive hurdle.

It's not just about money for flights or equipment; it's about allowing these players to focus fully on their craft without the stress of whether they'll have a roof over their heads or food on the table. For many, the reality is that if they can't make ends meet, they'll have to drop out of the scene entirely, even if they have the talent and potential to go far.

The orgs stepping back and expecting Riot to fill the gap only worsens the situation. These are the same organizations that profited massively when the scene was thriving and now dodge responsibility when times are tough. If Tier 2 is allowed to crumble, the talent pipeline dries up, and the entire ecosystem suffers, including Tier 1. Riot shouldn't be expected to shoulder the entire burden, but if orgs aren't stepping up, who else is going to invest in these young players? Without that investment, the future of competitive Valorant looks bleak.

Esports needs to be treated like any other professional sport, where investment in the lower tiers ensures long-term success. It’s not just about profit today; it’s about building something sustainable for the future.

#32

gamergirl

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the only reply to the first two paragraphs is that welcome to the world, this is how life works lol, people go into debt to study at university, but you want me to believe that its too unreasonable for a mf sitting infront of a desk for 16 hours a day to make less than educated teachers or some shit lol

according to everyone tier 2 is already dead, yet every year more and more tier 2 talent is making it to tier 1 lmfaooo, if you think tier 2 is dead go check out turkey..

it is literally sustainable, imagine thinking that riot that has built the most sustainable and healthy esports scene with league needs to listen to random americans with no education about finances.. anyways what youre saying and asking for wont happen because from riots perspective t2 is producing talent which is all that matters lol

#39

HeavenRhey45

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While it’s true that many industries require grinding, sacrifices, or even going into debt, that doesn’t mean we should use this as a blanket justification for underpaying or undervaluing people. Comparing struggling Tier 2 players to university students going into debt is flawed because students are investing in education with the potential for a stable career afterward. For many Tier 2 players, the pathway to Tier 1 is uncertain and limited, and a vast majority won’t make it. Just saying, “Life’s tough, deal with it,” doesn’t address systemic issues in how Tier 2 is supported.

Yes, Turkey is a great example of a thriving Tier 2 scene, but it’s not the norm—it’s the exception. The reason Turkey’s Tier 2 works is because of regional investment, passionate communities, and strong local orgs. Many other regions lack those factors, and Riot’s approach is very hands-off when it comes to Tier 2 outside of a few key regions. The argument here assumes that what works for Turkey should work for everyone, which isn’t realistic without structural changes.

Riot has done an excellent job with League of Legends, but the Valorant ecosystem is still young and has its own challenges. Relying on Tier 2 as just a talent funnel for Tier 1 might work for Riot’s bottom line, but it risks alienating players and fans who want a vibrant scene at all levels. If Tier 2 players feel unsupported, the talent pipeline could shrink over time, leading to less competition and fewer opportunities for growth.

Your tone of the reply brushes off legitimate concerns with “random Americans with no education about finances.” While Riot’s perspective and financial strategies make sense from a business standpoint, dismissing grassroots concerns entirely feels out of touch with the player base and community that drives the esports scene.

#43

gamergirl

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t2 is dying because orgs overspent early, leading people to believe that t2 can be a career 4 years into the scene

ill explain this to you in the simplest terms, these guys like dapr, wedid are going to expect livable salaries but riot does not want these players in tier 2 anymore, its just not profitable for anyone..

these guys were complaining about making 3k a month in tier 2, what im trying to explain is pretty objective, tier 2 should only be for up and comers, and disguised came out and said ascension contenders are paying upwards of 8k..

so if youre not competing for ascension, and youre an older gentleman and need to provide, its time for u to get a job because it aint happening lol

mfs are expecting to make a living off of being okay at video games lmfaoooo entitled ass mfs

#6

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are you saying it's like a way to gain audience, because valorant doesn't really need that since it's the fastest growing fps game currently.
ewc isn't even all that. only dota and cs had good viewership. idk i don't think ewc aligns with riot's core audience.

#13

gamergirl

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it not aligning with riots core audience is probably the only reason riot is interested tho

the way to add new viewers isnt a riot created wc, its outsourcing it purely to bring more eyes to the vct circuit

the other thing is a world cup in any sport will get more viewers for the most part because it attracts viewers who are there just to support america for example, instead of people there to support nrg

the ultimate goal of any sports is to market their streaming or tv rights to advertisers/streaming platforms

riot did this with league (they also have chinese billionaires tbf)

#16

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i don't think it's a world cup, it's just top tier 1 teams who participate which are invited, so it's just some invited teams like sen and fnc who are going to play, it's not like they are creating teams for every country, it's just a namesake

#23

gamergirl

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yeah but from my understanding they will be representing, i dont think its gonna be 4 na teams

#28

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for cs it was just regional teams which play in the cs events, so it's just normal teams afaik

#5

Warlordwibz

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Don't see how RIOT can do more international events... but China has something in plan
https://x.com/VALO2ASIA/status/1875453524513058974

VCT CN Kickoff (January 11-25)
CN Evolution Act I (February)
VALORANT Masters Bangkok (February 20 – March 2)
VCT CN Stage 1 (March 13 – May 4)
CN Evolution Act II (May)
VALORANT Masters Toronto (June 4-22) *Date according to VALORANT Esports Global is June 7-22
VCT CN Stage 2 (July- August)
CN Evolution Act III (August)
VALORANT Champions Paris (September 12 – October 5)
VCT Ascension CN (TBA)
CN Evolution Epilogue (November)

#8

HeavenRhey45

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With that many events China player will be dropping in internationals due to burn out remember what happened to EDG when they had no rest between tournaments.

#10

Warlordwibz

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this?
https://x.com/VALO2ASIA/status/1733137072406643163

#9

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i mean, its better than invite only ewc with terrible formats and only top teams which btw doesn't matter for the season and is not associated with riot, so it's like choosing money over vct performance because it's in the middle of the year, don't know how teams are even going to play

#11

HeavenRhey45

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no I'm not trying to argue which is better. I'm trying to say that the current calendar is enough for the players.

#12

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if we had to choose between ewc and a third party s tier tournament by like blast or esl, I'm taking blast/esl every day.

#15

HeavenRhey45

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same I don't really care for the EWC cause it's just the Saudi trying to change their public image using video games.

#17

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yeah, it's a way to get the boomer audience since esports olympics is a possibility and they want saudi to be associated with esports as like its base which just sucks.

#18

Nef0r0

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EWC is just another saudi hosted event, but it would be kinda funny to see orgs from NA and EU who are pro-LGBT rights then go on and attend an event in a country where being this said minority endangers your life

#19

HeavenRhey45

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ya given that that is why Riot does not want to send the GC teams over there.

#21

Nef0r0

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but then what if Apeks get an invite? What happens to flor?

#20

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they don't even have a penal code meaning they can just arrest you for life if you do anything against their rules
they had like a " no criticism " agreement for anyone attending ewc which in 2025 is crazy, basically human rights violation

#25

Nef0r0

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yeah that's a huge ass problem, afaik most CS and Dota teams dodged this problem by just deleting any shit related to social issues before announcing that they are going to Saudi.

#30

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weren't the cs teams given advice on what to wear and how to behave, crazy man

#31

Nef0r0

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It was an instruction for everyone attending

#24

uwukitten

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I only watched EWC for ow and it was pretty good tbh

#34

Ryandr

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How is ow eSports still not dead? What's like peak viewership and prize pool nowadays?
Blizzard or whoever manages ow eSports fucked up so bad. It could have been so huge if they could manage china and other regions better. Is na still good? And isn't it only Koreans and Americans that are playing and are hold in ow?

#38

uwukitten

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the viewership is horrible, the major finals had a peak of like 160k. there's still european teams playing, they've been catching up to NA teams. they recently announced that china will be back next year, they were gone for this year for everything other than the EWC yeah. the korean teams are still the best definitely

#40

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for ow, the ewc had worse viewership than ow normally has

#42

uwukitten

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the advertising was pretty bad, I don't think most people even knew when it was happening